


Unsolved Equations

by kcalbnahpro



Category: Orphan Black (TV)
Genre: F/F, Gen, Intrigue, Mystery
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-08-31
Updated: 2015-03-12
Packaged: 2018-02-15 13:53:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 14,169
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2231520
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kcalbnahpro/pseuds/kcalbnahpro
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>AU. Cosima has a secret. Delphine has a secret. Little do they know that what they're both hiding involves each other and dates back to when they were just 8 years old. Mystery! Intrigue! (Contains several characters from OB)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Paris, France – 1992**

The laboratory, usually so full of life and activity, was quiet. Lab equipment sat untouched, pages of scientific equations left unsolved. The scientists who usually occupied these items had gathered themselves at the center of the lab, their focus now on the two men in front of them – the lead scientists.

Clad in their crisp white Dyad lab coats, Doctor Ethan Duncan and Doctor Bernard Cormier addressed the small crowd. The news they delivered had been shocking, a blow to morale, leaving the lab in an unusual silence.

“Terminated?” said one of the scientists, finally speaking up. Doctor Fournier muscled his way through the group, his round pudgy face gasping for air, until he stood directly in front of the lead scientists. “What do you mean terminated?”

“Funding for Project Leda has been pulled. Project Leda is dead,” explained Duncan. “Instead the money will be funneled into a new cloning assignment – Project Castor.”

“Male clones,” said Cormier derisively, earning an irritated look from Duncan. Doctor Cormier had hardly said a word during the meeting, but those he did say were all laced with contempt.

“Military,” said another scientist. Every head in the room turned to find the voice, which belonged to a tall man in a thick pair of glasses. His nametag identified him as Niehaus. “You’re turning our research over to the military, aren’t you?”

Grumbles of displeasure erupted from the crowd of scientists. It wasn’t long before the grumbles turned to angry shouts and protests. Duncan raised his arms, hushing the irate crowd.

“Look, Project Leda was created so we could prove human cloning was possible,” Duncan said. “Now that we have, it’s time to move on. So, yes, the military has--”

“What of our research? And us?” interrupted another scientist, a short woman with short brown hair. Her ID tag identified her as Hendrix. “And what about our girls?

She waved her hand to the far corner of the room where a group of about 13 small children stood playing in a makeshift play area. They were all female, all identical in appearance, save for one who was taller than the rest and had wavy blonde hair. They all looked to be about 8-years-old.

“All of you and your research will be needed over at Project Castor,” Duncan answered. “As for the girls… Well, they’ll be dealt with.”

More hushed whispers and grumbles of disapproval sprang from the crowd, but Duncan had delivered his message, he was done. Gathering his things, the lead scientist detached himself from the group and moved toward the exit, never bothering to acknowledge the questions thrown his way.

There were several long, loud minutes of arguing before Doctor Fournier found his way to the front of the pack again.

“What do you have to say about all this Doctor Cormier? Surely you’re not on board.”

“I assure you I’m not, Doctor Fournier,” Cormier said. “In fact, I’m very much against it.”

“So what do we do now?” asked Doctor Hendrix. “How do we save our little girls?”

Doctor Cormier turned toward the children, who were now busy giggling and running to and fro. He had always known this was a possibility, that – whether successful or not – the cloning experiment could be shut down without a moment’s notice. He just didn’t think it would be now, not when they successfully cloned 12 beautiful girls, 12 beautiful girls whose lives only just begun.

The thought of “terminating” these 12 clones killed Bernard Cormier. He treated each as if they were his own daughter. In fact, Cormier had become a father himself around the same time the first clone was born. Over the years his daughter Delphine became a regular fixture in the lab, interacting with the girls, playing with the girls, giving the girls – albeit small – some semblance of a normal life.

Bernard Cormier took a few extra moments to watch Delphine play with the girls now. As usual Delphine was all smiles, her wavy blonde hair easily spotted among the sea of brunette. Finally he turned back to the small crowd of waiting scientists.

“We run,” Cormier said simply. “We take our clones, we take our research – sequences, equations, whatever made these girls possible – and we run. Nothing gets left behind for Project Castor.”

“Run where?” asked Doctor Niehaus.

“Anywhere,” answered Cormier, “London! Spain! China! San Francisco! It doesn’t matter, just get out of here. Hide.”

“Won’t we be obvious?” asked Doctor Hendrix. “A group of scientists traveling with clones?”

“We split up,” Cormier said, as if the answer was obvious. “You’ve all worked closely with a particular clone…”

Cormier hoped the scientist could fill in the rest of the blanks. It wasn’t an ideal plan, it wasn’t much of a plan at all, but it was their only choice. The scientists turned toward each other, discussing options and voicing concerns, until two of the men backed away from the group.

“I’m sorry, Doctor Cormier,” said one of the men. “I can’t do this, I can’t just run away. I have a family.”

The other scientist nodded and followed the man as they backed toward the lab’s exit. As soon as their backs hit the doorframe they bolted from the room.

“So now what?” asked Doctor Fournier. “We’ve got way more clones than scientists.”

“I know a guy,” said Cormier, his voice low. “His name’s Carlton. He’ll keep the unclaimed clones in the black – undocumented, out of the system – until they can be placed in a new home.”

Doctor Fournier looked skeptical, but nodded his head anyway.

“Right, then,” Cormier said, grabbing a stack of folders from the table. He flipped one open and read aloud. “Doctor Niehaus you’ll be responsible for 324B21, a.k.a. Cosima. Doctor Hendrix you’ll be responsible for 324B26, a.k.a. Alison.”

Doctor Cormier continued dolling out clones until 324B22 (Rachel), 324B23 (Sarah) and 324B24 (Helena) were the only three that remained. They’d be the three disappearing into Carlton’s pipeline, most likely never to be seen by Doctor Cormier or this group of scientists ever again.

One by one each of the scientists packed their belongings, gathered their clone and disappeared from the lab until Doctor Cormier and Doctor Fournier were the only two left.

“Listen, I know you said we should run,” said Doctor Fournier, “but I think I’ll stay in Paris with Danielle. Now I know it might be dangerous, but I’ll be on the look-out for any--”

“Will you do me a favor then?” Cormier asked, grasping Fournier’s arm with a grip so tight he nearly made the man yelp. “Will you watch over Delphine? Make sure she’s safe?”

“Of course, but why--”

“This plan means I have to disappear as well. This plan means I’ll probably never see my family again.”

* * *

**Minneapolis, Minnesota – 2014**

“Is this seat taken?”

Delphine wheeled around, the voice startling her. She had been stuck in the lab all day staring through a microscope that she nearly forgot where she was. Not a single person had bothered her since arriving, but now standing before her was a petite dreadlocked brunette with glasses sporting a very toothy smile. The girl waited for Delphine to respond, her eyes moving back and forth between the seat and Delphine’s face.

“No,” Delphine finally said, waving a hand at the chair, “it’s all yours.”

Delphine lowered her eye back to the microscope, but was soon interrupted by the woman again.

“Is that for Doctor Dean’s class?”

When Delphine looked up she found the woman pointing at her papers.

“Yes,” Delphine said, her brows furrowed, “how did you know?”

“I took his class last semester and recognized the lab. That’s a tough one.”

“Tell me about it. I’ve been in the lab all day and still have a ways to go.”

Delphine lowered her eye down to the microscope again, hoping this time the woman would get the hint.

“Do you want help?”

Delphine raised her eyes and surveyed the girl. She looked genuine in her offer, that big grin on her face once more.

“Do you mind?” asked Delphine.

“Not at all,” the girl said, waving her hands in front of her. “I’m Cosima Niehaus by the way.”

Delphine shook the hand Cosima presented and offered her own name.

“Delphine Beraud. Enchantée.”

Cosima smiled big, a little blush creeping up her neck.

“Okay, so the key with this lab is in the prep,” Cosima said, sliding her lab stool close to Delphine so they were practically shoulder to shoulder. Next she reached across Delphine, just slightly brushing her arm, and picked up the pipette. “And this little guy will be your best friend.”

* * *

Three hours. That’s how long Cosima had been stuck in the lab, hunched over a microscope with the beautiful blonde woman. Cosima thought it was totally worth it, though, even if she didn’t get any of her own work done.

All Cosima wanted now, however, was some wine and nice quiet, relaxing night back at her apartment. Unlocking her door, she tossed her bag on the ground, but suddenly stopped dead in her tracks. There, on her couch, sat Sarah Manning, bowl of cereal balanced in one hand and the TV remote in the other.

“Well, it’s about bloody time you showed up,” Sarah said, crunching through a mouthful of cereal. “Marion Bowles has been looking all over for you. Says you missed your meeting.”

“Shit,” mumbled Cosima, looking at her watch. “I completely forgot. Why didn’t you just take the meeting?”

“She was looking for the Geek Monkey,” said Sarah, shrugging her shoulders. “That’s not my area of expertise.”

“Any what exactly is your area of expertise, Sarah?”

“Last time I checked I was the only one defending us, yeah?”

Cosima rolled her eyes. She was sick of it; sick of being the one that was responsible for all the research.

Cosima plopped down at the desk and fired up the laptop. If Marion Bowles had been trying to get a hold of her all day, she’d certainly take her call now, even if it was late. Almost immediately Bowles answered, her image popping up onto the laptop’s screen.

“You missed our meeting,” said Marion.

“I know, I’m sorry,” Cosima said, readjusting herself in her seat. “I was stuck in the lab, lost track of time.”

Marion pressed her lips together in a thin line, obviously unhappy with the news.

“Need I remind you we have six dead clones, two missing, and one captured?” Marion pressed. “Your safety’s at stake, Cosima. Yours, Sarah’s, Alison’s… Those involved with Project Castor will stop at nothing to wipe all evidence of Project Leda clones from existence. ”

“I know, I know,” Cosima said, annoyed. “What have you found out? Anything new?”

“In fact, I have,” Marion said, opening a folder. “My sources have confirmed that Doctor Ethan Duncan is dead. Before his passing, however, he gave Project Castor all his research, synthetic sequences etcetera – but it amounts to only half of the equation.”

Marion rummaged in her folder and pulled out an old, crumpled photo of a man wearing a lab coat, a scientist.

“Who’s that?” asked Cosima.

“This is Doctor Bernard Cormier, a Frenchman and lead scientist number two on Project Leda.”

Cosima leaned in closer to look at the picture. All this time she had thought Doctor Ethan Duncan was the sole brilliant mind behind Project Lead, behind human cloning.

“So where is he?

“Doctor Bernard Cormier is in hiding, has been since 1992, that’s why we’re only hearing of him now.” Marion continued. “He holds the secrets to the other half of the equation, the secrets that make human cloning possible. Needless to say, Project Castor wants him. We need to find him first.”

“How?” Cosima asked. “The man’s been missing for nearly twenty-two years. He obviously doesn’t want to be found.”

“That’s why I needed to meet with you today,” Marion said, “Doctor Bernard Cormier had a daughter. No one knows about her, in fact, every trace of her has been scrubbed from the record books. But the intel has been confirmed, and my sources tell me she attends the same university as you.”

“What’s her name?”

“First name: Delphine. Last name: unknown.”


	2. Chapter 2

“Do you know her?”

Sarah’s words echoed loudly in the room, yet they sounded so distant to Cosima, who remained frozen at her desk. Marion Bowles’ image had disappeared from the computer screen nearly ten minutes earlier, all that remained now was the captured grainy image of Doctor Bernard Cormier.

Cosima stared at the picture trying to make a connection between Bernard Cormier, the French scientist, and Delphine Beraud, the beautiful blonde she met in the lab. But it was like trying to compare apples to oranges; the only observable similarities being that the two were both tall and blonde.

Cosima leaned in further, her nose inches from the monitor when suddenly she felt the dull thud of a pillow connecting with the side of her head.

“What the hell, Sarah?”

“Do you know her?” Sarah asked again, pointing at the screen. “Do you know the woman Marion Bowles was going on about?”

Cosima considered the question. Should she tell Sarah about Delphine Beraud? Was she even the “Delphine” they were looking for? Something held Cosima back. No use in jumping to conclusions, not before she had all the facts about the mysterious blonde.

“Nope, never heard of her,” Cosima said with a shrug, her eyes looking everywhere but at Sarah.

“Well, you know what that means,” Sarah said, standing up from the couch and stretching. “You and I have a date with the University of Minnesota bright and early tomorrow morning.”

“Wait, what?” Cosima said, head snapping to Sarah. “What are you talking about?”

“And they call you the Geek Monkey…” Sarah shook her head and mumbled some more indiscernible words under her breath. She was halfway out the door before she poked her head back in and added, “See you tomorrow. Don’t be late.”

* * *

Cosima spotted Sarah as soon as she stepped into the student union on the University of Minnesota campus. The grungy, punk clone stuck out like a sore thumb, her blue plaid sweatshirt – the hood up – and black leather pants clashing with the majority of students. Sarah stood by herself in the middle of the union, nodding at a few passersby before occupying herself with the large bulletin board on the wall behind her. Ten minutes passed before Cosima finally joined her.

“What are you doing here, Sarah?” Cosima hissed. She kept her eyes straight ahead, every so often picking at one of the flyers on the notice board.

“Finding Delphine,” Sarah answered. She took her time studying a “Wanted: Dog Walker” flyer before finally turning to face Cosima. “Boss’s orders.”

“ _My_ orders,” Cosima corrected.

Sarah shrugged as she casually leaned herself against the board. “I’m here as backup then.”

“Backup? For what?” Cosima asked, scoffing at the thought. “I think I can handle myself against a willowy blo – er – person. A willowy person. If she’s willowy, that is.”

If Sarah noticed Cosima’s slip-up she didn’t say anything. She was too busy watching a small group of students nearby. There was nothing special about the group, just that they happened to be female and had the unlucky fortune of passing Sarah at that exact moment.

“Sarah, no,” Cosima warned. “Don’t even think about it.”

Sarah waved Cosima off and marched toward the group. It didn’t take long for the girls to notice the grungy brunette blocking their path, and as soon as they realized she wasn’t moving, they stopped walking and their talking ceased. That’s when Sarah jumped into her interrogation.

“Any of you Delphine?” Sarah asked the group.

The girls shook their heads.

“Any of you know a Delphine?”

They shook their heads again.

Sarah groaned and jutted her thumb over her shoulder. “Piss off then.”

At once the group of girls scattered, leaving Sarah to hunt down her next victims. Cosima watched it all unfold from afar. She couldn’t believe her eyes. Not only were Sarah’s actions senseless, but they were tactless. And before Sarah could corner another gaggle of girls, Cosima yanked the clone back to the bulletin board.

“What?” Sarah shrugged. “It was worth a shot.”

“Sarah, we’re supposed to be discreet,” Cosima said through gritted teeth. “Let me handle th--”

“Cosima! Cosima!”

The voice rang out somewhere from behind Cosima and when she turned around she saw the perfect golden curls of Delphine Beraud rushing toward her. The tall blonde was all smiles and enthusiastic waves – a sight Cosima would’ve enjoyed much more if Sarah hadn’t been hovering right behind her.

“Who’s that?” Sarah asked.

“Lab partner,” Cosima lied, pushing away from her sister. “Go home, Sarah. We’ll talk later.”

Cosima tried putting some distance between her and Sarah, but Delphine was too quick. By the time she took a step, the blonde was already next to her.

“Bonjour, Cosima,” Delphine said with her perfect French pronunciation. “I’m so glad I caught you. Am I interrupting?”

She nodded toward Sarah, who had resumed picking at some flyers on the notice board. Cosima noticed that the brunette clone was now turned, face hidden, but she was still very much within earshot.

“Oh, no,” Cosima said, waving her hands. “I don’t know who that is.”

“Weren’t you two just talking?” Delphine asked, once again peering over Cosima’s shoulder at Sarah.

“She needed some directions; seems pretty lost,” Cosima said, tugging lightly on Delphine’s sleeve. “Walk me to class?”

It wasn’t a demand, but it wasn’t really a question either, because Cosima was already in motion, tugging Delphine with her.

“Are you sure she’s okay?” Delphine asked stopping and turning toward Sarah again. “If she’s lost…”

“She’s fine. Trust me, Del--” Cosima stopped herself, but not before catching Sarah stiffen ever so slightly. Had she noticed? “She’ll be fine. Come on.”

Again Cosima was tugging at Delphine and this time the French woman followed. Every so often Cosima would glance over her shoulder, but Sarah was nowhere to be found. And finally, when everything seemed safe and sound, Cosima slowed her pace to a leisure stroll.

“Is everything okay?” Delphine asked, finally breaking the silence. “You seem distracted.”

“No, everything’s good, everything’s perfect,” Cosima said. “Is there something you needed from me?”

The question seemed to trigger something within Delphine, because suddenly she was pulling Cosima off to the side, stopping their forward progress.

“I wanted to thank you again for your help yesterday,” said Delphine.

Cosima waved her arms, trying to indicate it was no big deal, but Delphine pushed forward.

“I turned in my lab this morning and Doctor Dean seemed very impressed with my work. I couldn’t have done it without you, Cosima, and I was wondering…” At this Delphine dropped her gaze to the ground, a slight tinge of red creeping up her neck. “I was wondering if I could buy you dinner and drinks. You know, as a thank you.”

Her words were rushed and somewhat jumbled.

“What? Like a date?” Cosima joked.

“Oh, I…”

“I’m kidding!” Cosima said, giving the blonde, who was now a bright shade of red, a slight nudge. “Totally kidding. But yeah, dinner and drinks. That sounds great, let’s do it.”

Her answer seemed to soothe Delphine’s nerves, because suddenly the blonde was all smiles again.

“Great! How about tonight?” Delphine asked. “I know a great little place nearby.”

* * *

Delphine’s “great little place nearby” ended up being a quaint little French restaurant just a few blocks from campus. While the outside was nothing fancy to look at, the inside exuded a rustic charm, outmatched only by its selection of classic French cuisines and wine offerings. Cosima and Delphine sat comfortably in the corner, the whole place basically to themselves.

“What did you order me, Delphine?” Cosima asked, poking at plate of stew in front of her. “Because whatever it is, it smells delicious.”

“That’s Poulet Basquaise. It’s basically a chicken, pepper and tomato stew.” Delphine answered.

“And what did you get?”

“This is Sole Meunière. It’s sort of a crispy, buttery, lemony fish.” Delphine said, taking a bite. “Would you like to try some?”

Cosima nodded, about to hand her fork over, when Delphine sliced off a piece with her own utensil. Carefully, with one hand cupping underneath, Delphine passed the fish over to Cosima.

“Here, careful. I don’t want it to drip...”

Cosima reached for the fork, her fingers brushing lightly against Delphine’s during the trade-off. If she found the exchange awkward, it was all forgotten as soon as the Sole Meunière hit her taste buds.

“Oh. My. God. That’s amazing.”

“You like it?”

“I love it. How did you find this place?” Cosima asked, scooping a bit of Poulet Basquaise into her mouth.

“I found it one night after I got very, very homesick.”

“Homesick?”

“I’m from Paris, new here this semester,” Delphine explained. “I didn’t bring anyone with me, so it can get pretty lonely in this brave new world…”

“I’m sorry,” Cosima said. “It must be tough to be so far away from your family.”

“It is,” Delphine shrugged, “but I’m making new friends.”

Delphine briefly glanced up at Cosima, before taking another bite of her fish.

“So tell me about your family,” Cosima said, leaning herself over the table. “Do you have a big family? Brothers? Sisters?”

Cosima was genuinely interested in getting to know the blonde, but she also realized she could use this opportunity to uncover whether Delphine Beraud was the very same Delphine Marion had told her about – the daughter of lead scientist number two on Project Leda. So far all Cosima knew was that Delphine was tall, blonde and French, just like one Doctor Bernard Cormier.

“Small family, no siblings,” Delphine said, her voice quieter than before. “My mom raised me all by herself. My dad left when I was little.”

“Oh god, Delphine, I’m so sorry.”

“No, it’s okay,” Delphine said. “It was a long time ago. What about you, though? Big family? Siblings?”

“Oh, yeah – big family. Lots of sisters,” Cosima said. “ _Lots_ of sisters.”

Before another question could be asked, the waiter popped by the table asking the most important question of the night: “More wine?”

* * *

More wine? Cosima and Delphine happily indulged in more wine, so much so, that by the time they left the restaurant, the warm, fuzzy effects of the alcohol had already taken control of their bodies. Arm and arm, the two inebriated women walked down the sidewalk while Cosima told yet another one of her stories.

“So I told him: ‘You get to have sex… with yourself,” Cosima said, falling into a fit of giggles.

Delphine laughed too, just barely able to get her next question out. “And what did he say?”

“Awesome deal.”

At that, both women doubled over in a burst of laughter, having to clutch on to each other to keep from falling over. They stood like this, their loud giggles ringing throughout the quiet night, until they were left gasping for air.

“Oh, shit. This is me. This is my apartment,” Cosima said, finally noticing their surroundings. “Would you like to come up? I’ve got booze, coffee, water…”

“I’ll take a coffee, if you don’t mind.”

Grabbing her hand, Cosima pulled Delphine inside and up the stairs until they were standing just inside the spacious apartment.

“I’m sorry, it’s a bit messy,” Cosima said, shuffling some books on a nearby table. “I wasn’t expecting company.”

“It’s perfect,” Delphine said, taking her time to survey the space. “It’s so… you.”

Delphine moved herself throughout the apartment, running her fingers over the books, papers and pictures she found along the way. See seemed completely captivated, taking her time to explore every nook and cranny.

Cosima just watched, slowly walking backwards so as not to miss a moment. She was headed for the kitchen when suddenly her whole body collided with the desk. Cosima reached out to steady herself, her hand landing on the keyboard of her laptop, making the dormant machine suddenly spring to life.

“Ow my ow! Shit!” Cosima cursed loudly, rubbing the part of her leg that had smacked the desk. “Shit, that really hurt. I’m going to need something stronger than coffee after…”

Cosima stopped talking, the expression on Delphine’s face being the reason why. The blonde stood frozen, her face suddenly very pale. Before Cosima could ask why, Delphine raised a shaky hand and pointed at something on the desk – the computer.

Brows furrowed, Cosima turned to look and then she saw it – the grainy image of Doctor Bernard Cormier, Delphine’s presumed father, was still displayed on the computer screen from her chat with Marion. She had never closed it out. Before she could say anything, though, Delphine was already out the door.

“Shit.”


	3. Chapter 3

He may have walked out on her and her mother when she was just 8 years old, but Delphine knew what her father looked like. She had some photographs. Not only photographs, but also a small box of his things, all given to her by her mother on her eighteenth birthday. Her mother had told her the box contained the truth about her father, the truth about the past, but Delphine had only found disappointment when she opened that box on her birthday 11 years ago. All that was inside were some old books and some trinkets, nothing that explained her father’s sudden desertion or why her mother still considered him a “good man.”

All these years, though, Delphine kept the items, as per her mother’s request. Though admittedly, they almost didn’t make the trip across the Atlantic with her. See, Delphine considered the University of Minnesota her new start, a new beginning, and the remnants of the coward who walked out 21 years earlier were not exactly welcome on the journey. Nevertheless, stowed away on the upper shelf of her closet, behind several boxes, sat the small, old dusty box of her father’s possessions.

That picture, though; the one on Cosima’s computer. Delphine had never seen that photo of her father before. He looked young, the photo obviously taken years earlier, before he abandoned his family. But where had it come from? What did it mean? And more importantly, why did Cosima have it?

“Merde,” Delphine said with a huff, downing the rest of the wine from her wineglass.

Curiosity was already clawing its way into her mind. Soon her every thought would be consumed by it. The last thing Delphine wanted to do was delve into her father’s past, but this – the photograph, Cosima, the apparent connection to her long-lost father – was too strange to ignore. It was like some big, complicated scientific equation and she now had to solve for the unknown.

Delphine paced back and forth, eyeing the closet uneasily every time it came into view. Finally, after a few deep breaths and a generous refill of her wineglass, she opened the closet and started digging. Box after box was pulled from the top shelf until there was only one small box left – her father’s possessions.

“If you want to go forward, then you have to go back,” Delphine quietly reminded herself. The words were meant to encourage, were meant to persuade, and finally, after some hesitation, she pulled the box down.

The contents inside were arranged exactly as she had left them. She found a book ( _The War of the Worlds_ ), her father’s old Dyad ID badge, some newspaper clippings, an old pair of glasses and three photographs. Delphine picked up the photos first and examined each one closely. One photo was of Bernard Cormier at his college graduation. Another showed the man holding a small baby, the backside reading: _Delphine, Dec 21, 1984_. However, it was the third photo that caught Delphine’s eye. In it her father stood smiling, his arms wrapped around a short woman and a round, pudgy man. Each wore crisp, white lab coats. Delphine flipped the picture over and read the caption: _Fournier and Hendrix, Dyad_.

“Fournier…,” Delphine said thinking out loud, “why does that sound familiar?”

Delphine set the pictures aside and pulled out the remaining items, studying each one before placing it on the table. Finally she pulled out the book, _The War of the Worlds._ The book was badly worn, its pages nearly falling out from the broken binding. Delphine ran her fingers over the cover, before carefully opening its pages. She thumbed through the brittle paper, careful not to tear anything when suddenly another photo fluttered out from its pages.

Delphine picked up the photograph from the floor, turned it over in her hands and nearly fell over from shock. Staring back at her were thirteen little girls, each identical in appearance, save for one. Delphine recognized the tall blonde, the oddball, at once – it was her. When she turned the photo over it read: _Delphine with Project Leda (Rachel, Sarah, Helena, Alison, Beth, Antoinette, Danielle, Katja, Aryanna, Jennifer, Janika & Cosima)_

* * *

**One Week Later**

“Sorry we’re eating so late,” Alison apologized, taking a seat at the table, “but if Cosima would have arrived on time…”

Alison shot Cosima a glare across the dinner table to which Cosima just shrugged. Next to her Sarah chuckled.

“How many times do I have to tell you guys?” Cosima asked, pouring herself a large glass of wine. “I’m kind of always late, so kind of always sorry.”

“Maybe next time I tell Marion,” Alison said. It was meant to be a threat, but again Cosima just shrugged.

“Go ahead, see if I care,” Cosima said. Then turning to Sarah she asked, “Hey Sarah, can you pass me the weird-looking potatoes?”

“Hey, I made those!”

That was it; Sarah had heard enough squabbling from the two.

“That’s enough,” Sarah said, throwing her arms between Cosima and Alison. “Let’s get down to business, yeah?”

The three nodded, though not before Cosima and Alison threw glares across the table at each other.

“How’s the hunt for Delphine coming, Cos?” Sarah continued. “Any progress?”

“Nothing yet,” Cosima sighed, poking at some food on her plate. “I’ve check the school directory, but there is no Delphine Cormier listed.”

It was a lie, sure, but Cosima couldn't tell them the truth. Alison and Sarah would be beyond upset with her if they knew she had scared off the Frenchwoman. Cosima was already upset with herself. Especially since she hadn’t seen the blonde since.

“Keep looking. We need her,” Sarah said. “We don’t know how much time we have before Project Castor finds out about her. They always seem to be just a step behind.”

Cosima nodded and poured herself more wine. “What about Helena? Any word from her?”

“No, but Cal’s working on it,” Sarah said, her voice quieter than normal. “He’s good with all that hacking shite. Kira keeps asking about her ‘Auntie Helena’ though.”

“We’ll find her, Sarah,” Alison said, reaching across the table to grab Sarah’s hand. “We’ve got everyone looking for her, even Marion.”

For a few moments no one said a word, the only sound being the scraping of forks across plates. Cosima took the time to top off everyone’s wine glass.

“Speaking of Marion,” Cosima started, “what has she tasked you with, Alison?”

Immediately Alison flung her hand to her cheek and shook her head.

“Lord and butter, I don’t even know!” Alison squeaked. “She wants me to find out the names of the two missing clones. How do I even do that?”

Cosima and Sarah shared a smile. The task did seem rather impossible, but it was always funny to see Alison freak out. Marion must’ve enjoyed it too, because she always seemed to task Alison with the ludicrous assignments.

“Man, what will Marion think when you tell her you’ve failed yet another assignment?” Cosima asked jokingly.

“Yeah, Alison,” Sarah joined in, “What if Marion decides it’s time to add a seventh name to the dead clones list?”

“Shut up you two and pass me the wine.”

* * *

Cosima steadied herself against the wall as she tried to maneuver herself up the stairs to her apartment. As usual, one of Alison’s little dinner parties had offered ample amounts of wine and now Cosima was paying the price. Her journey home afterward had been labored, but it was these stairs that were proving to be her biggest enemy. With slow, determined steps she finally made it to her landing. Only a few more steps to go when suddenly…

“Delphine?”

Cosima had to squint to see, but sure enough it was the tall blonde who was leaned against her door. As soon as Cosima said her name, the blonde was on her feet. In one had she held a photograph, in the other she grasped a small box.

“What are you doing here?” Cosima asked.

She took a step forward, which in turn made Delphine take a step back.

“Don’t come any closer,” Delphine warned.

Cosima raised her arms in surrender and chuckled.

“You do realize this is _my_ apartment, right?” Cosima asked. “I pay to live here.”

“Explain this.”

Ignoring Cosima’s cheeky comment, Delphine, with a trembling hand, held up the photo. Cosima leaned forward and squinted, but even then it was impossible to see the small image.

“You mind if I…?” Cosima asked tentatively, motioning between herself and Delphine.

Delphine nodded and so Cosima slowly made her way toward the blonde, her hands still raised in surrender position. When she was about a foot away she stopped and leaned in.

“Holy watershed,” Cosima said, grabbing the picture from Delphine’s grasp. She flipped it over and read the back. “Did this belong to your dad?”

“You tell me, since you seem to know him so well.”

Cosima reached her hand out to the Frenchwoman – a comforting gesture – but once again Delphine took a step back.

“Listen, I’ll explain everything,” Cosima said, “but only if you promise not to run away again.”

Delphine considered the idea, taking her time to mull it over when suddenly more footsteps where heard in the hallway. Both girls turned at the noise.

“Oi, Oi, Cosima, you forgot--“

Sarah stopped dead in her tracks when she spotted the two other women. Sarah looked between them, a sly smile spreading across her lips.

“Well, what do we have here?” Sarah asked. “Geek Monkey brought her lab partner home...”

Before Sarah could say anything more, Cosima stepped aside and let the two women fully study each other.

“Sarah, this is Delphine – _the_ Delphine.” Then she pointed at the picture in Delphine’s hand and added, “Delphine, this is Sarah. One of my many sisters.”

“Holy shite.”

“Merde.”

“Welcome to the trip.”


	4. Chapter 4

“You knew,” Sarah spat, her words filled with ire. “You knew about her this whole time and didn’t tell anyone!”

Sarah paced back and forth inside Cosima’s apartment, every so often throwing a dirty look at the blonde. Delphine, for her part, stood in the corner, the box of her father’s things pulled tightly to her chest. In between the pair stood Cosima; a human shield.

“Sarah, I didn’t know,” Cosima explained, trying to diffuse the situation. “I mean, I had a hunch, but I didn’t know, _know_. You know? I had to be certain.”

Sarah rolled her eyes and took a step toward the blonde, only to be met by Cosima.

“If she knows where Helena is…” Sarah started.

“She doesn’t,” Cosima interjected. “In fact, I don’t think she knows anything about us.”

Cosima and Sarah both turned to look at Delphine. She was still huddled in the corner, the box of trinkets still clutched to her chest, her eyes wide; a scared puppy.

“Does she at least know where Cormier is?” Sarah asked.

Both turned to look at Delphine again. The blonde shook her head.

“No,” Delphine said quietly, her first words since the big reveal. “He abandoned us when I was eight.”

Sarah threw her hands up.

“Well that’s bloody fuckin’ great,” Sarah growled. “She knows nothing; she’s useless!”

“Calm down, Sarah,” Cosima said, pushing the brunette toward the door. “Let me talk to her. Who knows, she might know something.”

“Doubt it.” Sarah threw a look over her shoulder at Delphine. “Look at her. She doesn’t know shite.”

Cosima rolled her eyes and opened the apartment door, ushering Sarah through it.

“Go home, Sarah. We’ll talk later.”

Sarah pushed away from Cosima and stalked down the hallway. Turning, she added: “Hey Cos… Keep it in your pants, yeah?”

With Sarah gone, Cosima closed the door and leaned against it, her attention on Delphine.

“Sorry about her, she’s a little wound up,” Cosima offered. “We all are.”

Cosima took a step toward Delphine, but stopped when the blonde flinched. Instead she redirected her steps toward the kitchen.

“Can I get you something?” Cosima asked, pointing at the fridge. “Water? Soda? Wine?”

Delphine shook her head, her body still curled in the corner. Cosima heaved a sigh and turned toward the blonde.

“Look, I know this situation is complex…” Cosima took a step toward Delphine. “And I know you’re feeling lost…” Another step. “But I think you might be able to help us.”

“How?”

“Your dad.”

“I already told you, he left--”

“When you were young, I know,” Cosima finished. She took a seat on the couch and patted the cushion next to her. “But you’ve already helped tonight.”

Delphine scrunched her eyebrows together, but Cosima pointed at the photograph in her hand.

“Your photo,” Cosima said. “Up until tonight, we didn’t know the names of the two missing clones. Now we do. Alison owes you a thank you.”

“Clones…? Alison…?” Delphine shook her head and looked at the photograph in her hand. “I’m sorry, I’m afraid I don’t understand.”

Cosima patted at the couch again. “I’ll tell you everything I know. Who knows? Maybe it’ll spark a memory.”

And so Cosima told Delphine everything. She talked about the clones (“There’s twelve of us.”). She talked about Ethan Duncan and Bernard Cormier (“They created us.”). She talked about Marion Bowles (“She’s helping us.”). And finally she talked about Project Castor (They’re killing us.”).

Delphine reached out and gripped Cosima’s forearm, stopping her mid-sentence. “Someone’s killing you?”

“Crazy, right?” Cosima said, with a nod. “Six are dead already.” Reaching forward, Cosima grabbed the _Delphine with Project Leda_ picture from the table and flipped it over, displaying the names. “According to Marion: Danielle was killed in France, Aryanna in Italy, Janika in Austria, Katja in Germany, Jennifer somewhere in the Midwest, and most recently Beth…” Cosima paused and gave a wistful smile. “She’s the one who found all of us, you know… Her death was particularly hard on Alison.”

Delphine ran her finger over the photo caption. “What about these other names?”

“These two – Rachel and Antoinette – they’re the missing clones,” Cosima said, pointing at the names. “No one knows where they are, or if they’re even alive for that matter. And Helena…” Cosima paused, another sad smile. “Helena is Sarah’s twin sister, and she’s been captured. We think by Project Castor, but who really knows?”

“I’m sorry,” Delphine said, shaking her head, “but what’s the point in killing all of you? I don’t understand.”

“Marion thinks it’s to hide the evidence.” When Delphine gave another confused look, Cosima continued. “See, Project Leda was never meant to the leave the lab. We were just proof of concept.”

“Merde,” Delphine whispered, running a hand through her hair. She picked up the picture and turned it over, thirteen little faces staring back. “So this is what you meant when you said you had a lot of sisters.”

Cosima nodded with a small laugh. Next to her, Delphine leaned back and blew out a long breath of air.

“And my dad? What else do you know about him?

Cosima shifted on the couch so she was facing Delphine.

“Not much. Marion says he disappeared in 1992, went into hiding.” Cosima paused, determining how to delicately put her next words. “He’s in danger too, Delphine. Ethan Duncan was killed by Project Castor for his research. We think they’re after your dad now too. So see Delphine…” Cosima reached out and laid a hand on Delphine’s knee. “I don’t think your dad abandoned you, I think he was protecting you. The only way he knew how.”

Cosima’s words were like a blow to Delphine’s gut. All these years, Delphine had assumed the worst of her father. Delphine dropped her head in her hands; this was all becoming too much.

Cosima gently rubbed her back. “Think you can answer a few of my questions?

Dabbing at her eyes, Delphine gave a nod. “I’ll try my best.”

“Okay, let’s start with something easy – Beraud. Maiden name, I’m assuming?

Delphine nodded. “After my father left, my mother reverted back to her maiden name.”

“Cool, cool,” Cosima said, bobbing her head. “Do you remember anything about your dad? Any details?”

Delphine shook her head. “Non, not really. My mother said he spent a lot of time in the lab. Sometimes he would even bring me along to play with the experiments…” Delphine trailed off, her eyes on Cosima. “Cosima, we knew of each other twenty-one years ago…”

“Dude, that’s crazy...”

Cosima and Delphine stared at each other until Delphine finally broke the connection. Turning, she pulled the small box from beside her and set it on the table.

“This is all I have left of him,” Delphine said. “There’s not much in there, I’m afraid.”

Cosima reached for the box, then paused. “May I?”

Delphine nodded. Cosima flipped the cover open and took a deep breath. Carefully, she pulled the items – the book, the newspaper clippings, the photos, etc – from the box, placing each on the table.

“The War of the Worlds,” Cosima mumbled, running her fingers over the book’s cover, “one of my favorites.” Next Cosima grabbed the pictures, studying each one, before flipping it over to read the caption on the back. One photo in particular – the one with Cormier and two scientists – caught her attention. “Fournier and Hendrix…” Cosima read aloud. Then: “Holy watershed!”

Delphine peered at Cosima. “Does that mean something to you?”

“Alison’s last name is Hendrix.” Cosima flipped the picture back over. “Do you think this woman – Hendrix – do you think she worked on Project Leda with your father?”

Cosima’s eyes were wide, but Delphine only shook her head and shrugged.

“I’m sorry, Cosima. I don’t know. One could assume, yes?”

Cosima stared at the picture once more, before dropping it on the table. Wordlessly, she examined the remaining items in the box.

“So that’s everything?” Cosima asked.

Delphine shrugged. “As far as I know.”

Cosima reached out and picked up the paperback book again. She took her time thumbing through the pages, careful not to rip the brittle pieces of paper. On the second thumb-through she stopped and pulled the book closer.

“Hey look!” Cosima said, pointing at a page. “Your dad wrote something. It looks like an equation.”

Delphine leaned in close; she had never seen that before. Cosima turned a few more pages, only to find more notes.

“Look, more!”

This time the scrawled words read: ‘ _sterility concept – degrade the endometrium, prevent ovarian follicles from maturing_.’ A few pages later, more handwriting: ‘ _spindle protein problem?’_ Cosima looked at Delphine, who nodded at her to keep going. Cosima flipped more pages. One after another after another, all blank until finally on one of the very last pages she found: ‘ _Don’t trust Marion Bowles._ ’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! A few people expressed interest in this fic, so here's a (very long overdue) update! I'll try my best to balance updates between this and 'That Old Familiar Feeling.' Thanks for reading!


	5. Chapter 5

**A Few Days Later…**

“It’s just not practical,” Delphine said, emerging from the closest, a pile of shirts stacked in her hands. “I really think you’re overreacting.” The blonde maneuvered through her apartment, careful to dodge a forgotten pile of shoes, before dropping the shirts into a suitcase. “I mean, I don’t even know Marion Bowles."

“You need a safe place to stay,” Cosima said, following closely behind, a stack of shirts balancing in her hands too. “It’s only a matter of time before someone tracks you to this apartment. Sarah and Alison agree.”

Delphine shot the brunette a look, snatching the pile of shirts from her and unceremoniously dumping them into the suitcase. With shaky hands, Delphine hastily began repacking the garments, folding – and refolding – until finally she just threw everything messily into the suitcase.

“Merde!”

“Hey,” Cosima said, placing her hand over Delphine’s trembling one. She dipped her head to look at the blonde. “It’ll be okay. Everything will be okay.”

Delphine turned away from the brunette and wiped at her eyes, the faintest sniffle escaping.

“Whoa, hey. Please don’t cry, Delphine,” Cosima said, tugging the blonde into a hug. Cosima held her close, gently rubbing her back. When they finally pulled apart, Cosima found Delphine’s eyes and softly wiped away a leftover tear. “I’m not _that_ bad to live with. Promise.”

※ ※ ※

“I think it’s a clue.”

Delphine jumped at the sudden words. It was the first time either had spoken after hours of packing. Since finishing, both had retired to the couch, Delphine with a cigarette and Cosima with a joint, a heady cloud of smoke between them.

“What’s a clue?” Delphine finally asked.

Cosima pointed at _The War of the Worlds_ paperback laying the coffee table.

“Okay, maybe not a clue, but, like, advice.” When Delphine gave her a puzzled look, Cosima dropped her joint in an ashtray and pulled the book onto her lap. “Just hear me out, okay? Your dad left when you were eight, right? Well, what if he needed to get a message to you – an older you – but he knew he couldn’t contact you without exposing himself?” Cosima rose from the couch and started pacing the room, this time her hands flinging to and fro, the book going along for the ride. “So what does he do? He writes it somewhere secret, like a book,” Cosima continues, waving the paperback, “and tells your mom to give it to you on your eighteenth birthday…”

“I don’t know,” Delphine said, taking a drag from her cigarette. She slowly blew out the smoke before continuing. “Seems rather cryptic, non?”

“Well, duh, Delphine!” Cosima said, plunking down on the couch again and reclaiming her joint. “The message has to be cryptic, you know, in case it ends up in the wrong hands or something. Man, you’d make a terrible spy.” Cosima punctuated the last statement by taking a long drag from her joint. “So, what do you think? Is it possible?”

Delphine stared into Cosima’s excited eyes. “I think…” Delphine hesitated, then with a small laugh she finished. “I think you are high.”

Cosima stared at Delphine, before suddenly bursting into a fit of giggles. “Obvs… Join me?”

Cosima held the joint out to Delphine, who faltered before reaching out and—

**_KNOCK. KNOCK._ **

Both women jumped at the sudden interruption.

“You expecting someone?” Cosima asked, rising to answer the door. When Delphine made to follow, Cosima held up a hand. “You stay. Let me check it out.”

Delphine opened her mouth to protest, but Cosima held a finger to her mouth. And then she swung the door open. Standing on the other side was a young man. He stood tall, almost rigid in the hallway, his attire looking like something out of yesteryear.

“Can I help you?”

The young man ran a hand over his slicked hair, before letting it rest on his giant belt buckle. “Is Miss Beraud home?” His voice was soft, but still commanding.

“Who’s asking?”

The two stared at each other, before Delphine wrestled the door further open.

“Mark!” Delphine exclaimed. Turning to Cosima she explained, “This is my neighbor, Mark. He recently moved into the building.”

Cosima looked between the pair, her eyes narrowed.

“Mark Rollins,” the young man introduced. He held his hand out to Cosima, who gave it a quick shake.

“Can we help you, Mark?” Cosima asked again, her voice curt. Delphine gave the woman a nudge, before shooting the man an apologetic smile.

“I’m sorry to interrupt,” the man spoke, his eyes on Delphine, “but I received your mail again, Miss Beraud.” He held out a few envelopes to Delphine, who took a few seconds to shuffle through the bits of paper. “Oh, are you going somewhere?”

Mark’s question surprised Delphine, and when she looked up she found the man staring at her suitcases by the door.

“Oh, I’m just--”

“That’s not really any of your business,” Cosima interrupted. “In fact, we should be going. Nice meeting you, Mark.”

Cosima pulled the door shut, but Mark didn’t acknowledge the brunette. Instead he kept his piercing gaze on Delphine, never leaving her until the door closed between them.

“Cosima that was very rude,” Delphine scolded, but Cosima was already grabbing at one of the suitcases.

“Delphine, we should go. Like, now.”

* * *

“It’ll just be us adults tonight, no Kira. Sarah left her with Mrs. S. So…” Cosima nodded toward the metal door, her hand hovering above it, ready to knock. “You ready for this?”

When Delphine gave a slight nod, Cosima brought her hand down, causing a loud metallic thump to rumble through the hall. Not two seconds later the door slid open to reveal a skinny young man.

“Felix, hey,” Cosima started, “this is Del-- ”

“Oh, now I get it,” the young man drawled out. His eyes slid between Cosima and Delphine, before finally landing on the blonde.

“Oi Fee, who is it?” Sarah’s voice called from somewhere inside.

“It’s Cosima,” Felix said, pushing the loft door completely open. “And she’s got baggage.”

Cosima glared at the boy, before pulling Delphine inside the apartment and toward the strangers that waited within. Everyone stared at each other, no one saying a word until finally Felix stepped forward.

“Felix,” the boy introduced, reaching a hand out to Delphine, “honorary member of clone club and foster brother to that one there.” He jabbed a thumb toward Sarah, who gave a quick nod.

Delphine shook his hand. “Nice to meet you, Felix.”

Next the woman stepped forward.

“I’m Alison Hendrix.” Alison seemed apprehensive, a bit jittery, but offered Delphine a curt handshake anyway before stepping away quickly. Delphine watched her retreating form. It was obvious she was another clone, and yet she seemed so different from both Cosima and Sarah…

Finally the last stranger in the room stepped forward. He was tall, ruggedly handsome, and when he offered his hand, he used the other to brush a loose strand of dark brown hair from his eyes.

“I’m Cal,” the man said. “It’s nice to meet you, Delphine.” He smiled warmly at the blonde and shook her hand.

“So, Delphine,” Felix drawled out. “How’s life at Casa de Niehaus?”

Delphine turned toward the boy, offering him a polite smile. “She’s been very accommodating these past couple days,” Delphine answered.

“Oh, I bet she has,” the boy smirked, earning a smack from Cosima. “Whoa, hey! What was that for?”

“You two are worse than Kira, ya know that?” Sarah said stepping forward. “Enough of this shite. How ‘bout some drinks, yeah?”

※ ※ ※

“That’s certainly my mother,” Alison said, peering at the picture of Hendrix, Fournier and Cormier, a large glass of wine balanced in her hand. After a long sip of wine, she continued. “I didn’t know my mother was capable of smiling. She’s a very unpleasant woman, you know.” Alison paused, looking up at the others. Sarah, Felix and Cosima all rolled their eyes, but Delphine politely listened. (Cal was busy typing away on a computer). “I mean it; everybody hates my mother. Just ask my husband, Donnie.” She punctuated her last statement with another gulp of wine.

Finally Sarah leaned forward and snatched the paperback book from off the table.

“This the book then, Cos?” Without waiting for an answer, Sarah flipped through the book finding Cormier’s ominous warning among its last pages. “Is that it? This little bit of chicken scratch here?”

“That’s it,” Cosima confirmed. “What were you expecting?”

“I don’t know,” Sarah sighed, dropping the book back onto the table. “It’s just some old notes.”

“Yes, but what does it mean?” Cosima pushed. “Who was it meant for? Why is it written in that book? And how are Cormier and Marion connected?”

“You know, Sarah, Cosima raises some very good points,” Alison cut in, earning another eye roll from Sarah. “What? She does!”

“How did you guys meet Marion?”

It was the first thing Delphine had said in awhile, and everyone turned to look at her.

“Uh…”

“Well, see…”

“It was right after Beth had contacted us,” Sarah said, her voice quieter. “Remember?”

“Yes, that’s right,” Alison said, tapping her chin. “That’s absolutely correct. Beth had just found us…” Alison let her words trail off.

“And we were contacted by Marion shortly thereafter,” Sarah finished.

“She already knew so much about the clones. I guess we didn’t even think to question her,” Cosima piped in. “We are so stupid.”

“Non, not stupid,” Delphine said softly, looking at Cosima. “You were scared and you wanted answers.”

“So what happens now?” Felix said. “Do you stop trusting her?” When no one said anything, he continued. “Correct me if I’m wrong, but isn’t she the one who’s been helping you this whole time? Keeping you safe? Everything she’s said so far has been true.”

“Wait!” Cosima blurted, making all eyes turn toward her. “What if she _works_ for Dyad? That would explain her connection to Cormier.”

Felix and Sarah groaned. “Come off it, Cos,” Sarah said, waving a hand. “Dyad is who she’s been protecting us from!” When Cosima didn’t look satisfied, Sarah continued. “Look, we’re not going to just stop trusting her because of some shite this one’s dad wrote in a book some years ago.” Sarah said, nodding toward Delphine.

“So, what then?” Cosima asked. “You’re just going to sit here and wait to die? Somebody is _killing_ us, Sarah.”

At this Alison let out a little squeak, her hand coming to rest on her cheek. “What are you suggesting, Cosima?”

“I think…” Cosima stalled, deciding how to delicately put her next words. “I think we need to pay a visit to the Dyad Institute.”

Sarah scoffed. “You know bloody well we can’t show our face there.”

“Maybe I can be of help.” And for the third time that night, all eyes were on Delphine.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay in posting this! I had planned to post it sooner, but then life got hectic. I know this chapter has a lot of character introductions, so I hope it wasn’t too dry. More suspense and mystery from here on out! As always, thanks for reading!


	6. Chapter 6

**More Days Later…**

“You really didn’t have to come with me,” Delphine said, pulling the car into an empty parking space. Switching the vehicle off, she peered over at Cal in the passenger seat. “I think I can do this.”

“I _know_ you can do this,” Cal said with a small chuckle, “but I’m on strict orders from Cosima to keep you safe.” He gave Delphine a warm smile before peering out the windshield at the large, looming building before them. “So that’s it, huh? That’s the DYAD Institute.”

Delphine joined Cal in staring at the building. An impressive sight to be sure, but something about it sent shivers down Delphine’s spine. “That’s it.”

“I didn’t know they gave tours.”

“They don’t.”

Cal snapped his attention back to Delphine. “Then how…?”

“Doctor Dean.” When Cal quirked an eyebrow she explained further. “My professor, Doctor Dean, he’s actually a part-time researcher here. And after I mentioned my desire to work at the DYAD Institute one day, well, he was quick to make some calls.”

“Very clever,” Cal said scratching at his beard. “Very clever, indeed.”

The two peered up at the DYAD Institute again, the space around them quiet, when suddenly a buzzing noise erupted from Cal’s pocket. Delphine whipped her head around.

“Sorry, phone,” Cal said, pulling the device from his pocket. He checked it quickly before slipping it back in his pocket.

“Everything okay?” Delphine asked.

“Everything’s good.” Cal smiled over at her, though this time it wasn’t quite as warm. “Well, shall we?”

Delphine nodded, opening the car door and sliding out from her seat. As the two made their way toward the DYAD Institute, they shared a tight-lipped smile, uneasiness evident between them. After moving through the security checkpoint, the two found themselves sitting again, waiting in the DYAD’s lobby.

“Man, would you take a look at this place?” Cal whispered, his eyes inspecting the large waiting room.

Delphine nodded, she too taking the time to explore the impressive waiting area. Large windows stretched to high ceilings, allowing abundant sunlight to filter through. The lobby itself was modern in appearance - very white, very clean, very sterile.

“It’s…” Delphine trailed off, the distinct sound of footsteps interrupting her thoughts.

Cal and Delphine both turned at the noise. The footsteps belonged to a tall scientist, his crisp, white DYAD lab coat billowing behind him. He flashed both a smile, outstretching a hand as he neared. Cal and Delphine both rose from their seats and politely shook his hand.

“I’m Aldous Leekie, Director of the DYAD Institute,” the man introduced. Then turning to Delphine he added, “And you must be the future DYAD immunologist I’ve heard so much about.”

“Delphine Beraud,” she said with a nod. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Doctor Leekie.”

“The pleasure’s all mine,” the scientist said, giving a friendly smile, “and please, call me Aldous.” Next he turned toward Cal. “And you are…?”

“Cal Morrison.”

“And are you an immunologist as well?” Leekie asked, cocking his head to the side.

“No.” Leekie furrowed his brows, urging Cal to continue. “I’m more into microoptics technology myself.”

Leekie smiled, giving a nod. “Aha, well then there’s something for you here too. We employ over 27,000 souls in 134 countries, including Paris, France.” He beckoned the two forward, leading them to the door he had appeared from. “The age of biotechnology is upon us, my friends, and it’s our responsibility to continue healing, feeding and fueling the future of humanity. Come, follow me.”

Leekie took Delphine and Cal on a tour of the DYAD Institute, showing them the ins and the outs of the overwhelmingly large facility. The place was enormous, a winding maze of seemingly endless hallways, laboratories and offices. The labs, like everything else at the DYAD Institute, were all crisp, clean and white. Every so often Leekie would stop to observe the scientists at work.

“Now these scientists here are working on DYAD’s newest vaccination,” Leekie said, his tone hushed. “You should know the DYAD was built on vaccines. In fact, vaccinations for Polio and Spanish Influenza were all manufactured right here.” Leekie paused for effect, and then beckoned the pair forward. “Come, come.”

Leekie took Delphine and Cal through another labyrinth of long sterile hallways before stopping at the top of a worn stone staircase.

“Would you two like to see the old wing?” he asked.

Delphine and Cal looked at each other, silently debating, before turning to Leekie with a nod. The scientist smiled and led the pair down the stone steps, their surroundings suddenly going from bright sterile white to dark stone and brick.

“While the old wing may lack some luster,” Leekie said, weaving through the stuffy hallway, “it’s where our most sensitive research takes place.”

“Like what?” Cal asked.

Leekie waggled a finger at him. “Now, now, Mister Morrison, you’re not an employee here yet. That information is strictly confidential. You’d have to be part of one of our high-security programs in order to have access.” Once again, Leekie gestured for them to move forward. “This way!”

The group started down the hallway when suddenly an unfamiliar voice called out from behind. Turning, they saw an impeccably dressed man jogging toward them waving an arm above his head.

“Doctor Leekie!” the man yelled again, his footsteps echoing loudly in the stone hallway. “One moment please!”

Doctor Leekie rolled his eyes. “Yes, Martin, what is it?”

“Your assistance is requested regarding…” He eyed Delphine and Cal cautiously before lowering his voice. “You’re needed upstairs.”

Leekie exhaled loudly, rubbing a hand over his bald head. “Now?”

Martin nodded. “Doctor Coady…” he whispered, leaning in closer to Leekie, “she’s asking for you.”

Leekie smiled over at Delphine and Cal and held up a finger. Then, dropping the smile, the scientist grabbed Martin roughly by the shoulder and dragged him down the hall and out of earshot.

Cal looked at Delphine, eyebrows raised. “That was weird.”

“Very,” Delphine agreed. She opened her mouth to say more, but was suddenly stopped by a buzzing noise from Cal’s pocket.

“Phone,” Cal said, retrieving the device from his pocket. He turned it on, his expression suddenly turning into a frown. He quickly typed out a few words before slipping the phone back into his pocket. “Sorry about that.”

“Everything okay?” Delphine asked.

“Everything’s great,” Cal said, plastering a tight-lipped smile on face.

Delphine eyed him doubtfully, but was interrupted by the sound of nearing footsteps.

“I’m afraid we have to cut this tour short,” Aldous Leekie said, returning to Delphine and Cal. “But I’ll make it up to you. Follow me.”

Again the group wove through an endless web of hallways – Leekie silent the whole way – before climbing up another set of stone stairs and back into crisp, sterile surroundings. A few minutes more, and Leekie was stopped outside a pair of glass double doors.

“Through these doors is our research library,” Leekie said. Puffing out his chest, he added, “It holds more than 52 million items, including renowned research collections used by scholars from around the world.” Leekie then turned to Cal. “Mister Morrison, you might find this particularly interesting. While I can’t disclose any of DYAD’s current high-security projects, inside you’ll find several declassified assignments from DYAD facilities all over the globe.”

“Do you mind if we have a look?” Delphine asked.

“By all means, Miss Beraud, that’s why I brought you here!” Leekie said. He pulled out his DYAD ID badge and swiped it through a card reader on the wall. With a _whoosh_ the double doors slid open. “I apologize for cutting our tour short, but I believe a few hours in here will more than make up for it.”

Leekie brandished an arm before him, presenting the library. The place was absolutely huge; two-stories tall and stacked to the ceiling with research materials – books, journals, projects, etc. Large windows lined the perimeters, allowing natural light to filter through. Scattered throughout the space were several lab coat-clad DYAD employees.

“Welcome to the world’s largest private research library,” Leekie said. “Please, take some time to explore. Unfortunately I must be taking off now, though I suspect we’ll be seeing much more of each other in the very near future.”

He offered both Delphine and Cal a hearty handshake before turning on his heel and exiting the library in a hurry, his lab coat billowing behind with each step. The pair watched him leave, never moving until the scientist rounded a corner a disappeared from sight.

“Something weird is going on,” Cal said, scratching at his beard. He continued to gaze down the hall where Leekie had just disappeared from, before turning his attention to Delphine. “Let’s try to be in and out as fast as we can.”

Delphine nodded. “Cosima said to look for anything pertaining to Project Leda, Bernard Cormier or Marion Bowles.” She peered around the library, her eyes landing on the circular help desk. “Come on, I have an idea.”

Cal followed as Delphine made a beeline for the desk, which was vacant, save for one elderly woman who sat behind an even older computer monitor.

“Excuse me,” Delphine said tentatively.

The older woman peered out from behind her monitor, smiling warmly. “Yes, can I help you with something, my dear?”

“We were wondering,” Delphine paused, biting her bottom lip, “could you help us find some DYAD research materials from 1992?”

The woman nodded and began typing. “Which DYAD facility, my dear?”

“Paris, France.”

The woman abruptly stopped her typing and looked up, eyeing Delphine and Cal skeptically. “You’re not DYAD employees, are you?” Crossing her arms, the woman leaned back in her chair, “Because if you were, you’d have known about the nasty lab fire of ’94.”

“Lab fire?” Cal asked, stepping next to Delphine. “Doctor Leekie failed to mention that on the tour.”

“Oh, you’re friends of Doctor Leekie?” the woman asked, suddenly sitting straighter in her chair. With a big smile now on her face, she continued, “Yes, the lab fire. It is not a shining moment in DYAD’s history, especially since it happened during a time when the Institute was making some of its greatest biotechnological discoveries.” The woman began typing on her computer. A few moments later she turned the computer monitor toward Delphine and Cal. “Here, look.”

On the screen was an old newspaper article. It was just three small paragraphs in length and quickly described a fire that had damaged several laboratories at the DYAD Institute in Paris, France. No one had been hurt, but several labs (and the work inside) had been destroyed. The article ended by saying the facility would be rebuilt. Below it stood a picture of the scorched building as fire crews worked to put out the last remaining flames.

“So all the research… all the data inside…,” Delphine began.

“Gone. Reduced to a pile of ash,” the woman finished. “Doctor Leekie claims that fire set the science back decades.” Suddenly the woman rose from her chair and walked out from behind the help desk. “Now that I think of it, there were a few items salvaged from the fire. Though I doubt it’ll be of any use to you. Come, I’ll show you anyway.”

Delphine and Cal followed the woman as she set a slow pace through the rows of books in the research library. Every so often she’d call over her shoulder with another historical anecdote.

“You know, the Paris, France location used to be the hub of the DYAD facilities, but after the fire, everything moved over here, including several of the scientists.” The woman took a sharp right and stopped before a door marked ‘ _Restricted Access_.’ “The Paris facility is still operating today, but it doesn’t produce results like it did back in the early ‘90s.”

She pulled a DYAD ID badge from her pocket it and slid it through the card reader on the wall, causing the doors to slide open with a _whoosh_. When they stepped inside the doors snapped closed behind them.

“Don’t mind the doors,” the woman said, waving back at them. “They’re just a precaution. We house some of our more fragile materials back here.”

The woman continued walking, leading Delphine and Cal past a few aisles before finally turning down one. Both sides of the aisle were stacked with large boxes, and each box had a label with a date and some notes. The woman ran her hand along a row of boxes, finally coming to a stop at one.

“Here we go,” she said, pulling the box from its shelf. “Paris, France. 1994 and earlier.”

“Just one box?” Cal asked.

The woman nodded. “Just the one. Come, let’s go to the table.”

She walked past Delphine and Cal, out of the aisle, and placed the box on a small table. Pulling on some cloth gloves, the woman removed the lid from the box and began unpacking. It didn’t take long; only a handful of papers lay inside, several of them laden with scorch marks. The woman placed each item on the table, and then took a step back.

“There you are,” the woman said. “Don’t forget to use gloves.”

Cal and Delphine stepped forward, each pulling on a pair of cloth gloves. Delphine studied the items, letting her fingers run over the burned edges. She moved through the papers, stopping on a thicker document, this one legible, more intact. It appeared to be an employee newsletter of sorts. Delphine carefully flipped open its brittle pages, reading the publication. It contained several announcements, some detailing the facility’s latest discoveries, others its newest projects. And in the bottom right corner--

“Merde,” Delphine whispered, her hand coming to rest on her lips.

“What is it?” Cal asked.

“Cosima was right.”

Delphine slid the newsletter closer to Cal and pointed to the area titled _Latest Announcements_. Underneath that it said: _Welcome New DYAD Fellows_ followed by a few paragraphs of text. And below that stood a picture of two individuals, a man and a woman.

“DYAD fellow, M. Bowles, assists DYAD scientist, O. Duval, on latest project,” Cal said, reading the caption aloud. He let out a low whistle.

“Marion worked for the DYAD Institute.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I decided to get an update out before I took off for Thanksgiving! THANK YOU to all those who continue to read and/or comment, I love hearing what you have to say. And Happy Thanksgiving to those who celebrate!
> 
> P.S.: I apologize for the lack of Cophine. Initially the story started with the idea that it would be Cophine-centric, but it has since expanded into something much larger. While I hope to include more Cophine moments in future updates, I do believe the story (as a whole) will focus more on solving the mystery, and less on their relationship. Maybe…


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's an update! Sorry about the major delay, I've just been busy with life and other writing projects. I'm still trying my best to complete my ongoing stories. Thank you to all those who continue to read them! I hope you enjoy the latest update. Warning: there is a mention of death.

"It gets easier."

The words slipped quietly from Cal's mouth as he and Delphine climbed the concrete steps to Felix's loft. Since their discovery at the DYAD Institute, neither had spoken a word.

"Trust me," Cal said, stopping just before the landing, "It really does get easier. Plus you've got us now, people to talk to."

Delphine nodded and gave a polite smile, but still looked unconvinced. "This whole situation is-"

"Cal? Delphine? Is that you?" Cosima's voice rang through the hallway before Cosima herself appeared on the landing. "Oh, thank god."

"Is something wrong?" Cal asked.

"Um… It's nothing," Cosima said.

"COSIMA!" Sarah's sharp voice rang out like a warning shot from inside the loft and echoed through the hall.

"Okay, well, it's something…"

Cosima beckoned the pair forward into Felix's loft. When everyone was safely inside, she pulled the heavy door shut with a  _thud_  and secured it with the screwdriver.

"There's something you should see, Delphine," Cosima said, gently guiding Delphine to the couch. "Maybe you should sit."

Delphine stared at Cosima before looking at the rest of the group. Everyone was quiet, a look of concern shared among them.

"What's going on?"

Cosima silently gestured for Delphine to sit. When the blonde finally complied, Cosima turned toward the television and upped the volume.

Onscreen stood a news reporter. He talked quickly, nearly stumbling over his words, all while gesturing at something behind him. And then Delphine saw it. He was pointing at an apartment complex. Her apartment complex.

_… Once again, this is breaking news... Police are still on the scene here where a body has been found inside one of these apartments with a gunshot wound to the head. Police estimate the body had been hidden inside the apartment for one, maybe two weeks. It was discovered earlier today after the landlord went to question the tenant about unpaid rent. Police are cautioning everyone to stay indoors. They believe whoever did this is armed and still at large. When asked if they had any leads, we were told they believe the suspect is male and may be involved with the military…_

"I… I…," Delphine looked between Cosima and the group. "I don't understand."

"Mark Rollins," Cosima said.

"What?" Delphine said. "No, it can't be. He just moved in…"

"I don't think he ever lived there," Cosima said, lowering herself next to Delphine on the couch. "I… we think he just needed that apartment."

"Why?"

Cosima reached a hand out to comfort Delphine, but the blonde recoiled from the touch.

"Delphine…"

"Why did he need  _that_ apartment?" Delphine asked again.

Delphine looked at Cosima, who in turn looked at Sarah. Silent words were spoken between the clones until Sarah finally blurted out:

"We think Project Castor has found you."

* * *

 

"Cosima?" Delphine whispered, poking her head out from Cosima's bedroom. "Are you awake?"

Delphine had locked herself away in Cosima's room as soon as the two women had returned to the apartment that night. Not surprisingly, Delphine didn't have much to say after learning Project Castor might be after her too. Of course Cosima had tried checking on her – several times actually – but the blonde just needed some time to think.

"Yeah." Cosima whispered from the couch in the other room. "I'm awake."

Delphine could faintly make out the couch from where she stood in the bedroom. And just sticking out over the couch's edge were Cosima's feet.

"Can we talk?" Delphine asked.

"Of course," Cosima said.

Delphine watched as Cosima dropped her feet to the floor and sat upright on the couch. Slowly, Delphine tiptoed over and joined her on the couch.

"Are you okay?" Cosima asked, keeping her voice to a whisper.

"I'm scared," Delphine said.

"I know," Cosima said. She slipped her hand over Delphine's and gave it a light squeeze. "You've got me though. And you have Cal and Sarah and Alison and Felix… We're all in this together."

Delphine stared at their hands, watched as Cosima lightly ran her thumb along the back of her hand.

"I don't think Felix likes me very much," Delphine suddenly whispered.

Cosima snorted and rolled her eyes. "He likes you. He's just protective. This is a fucked up situation, it takes a toll on everybody involved."

More silence. Cosima kept her hand over Delphine's though, never ceasing her gentle caresses.

"When did you know?" Delphine finally asked.

Cosima furrowed her brows. "Know what?"

"When did you know I was the daughter of Bernard Cormier?" Delphine whispered. "Was it in the lab?"

Cosima shook her head. "No."

"At dinner?"

Cosima hesitated and Delphine pulled her hand away. "Yes, but I never told anyone, not even my sisters. Not until you showed up at my door." Cosima watched as Delphine processed the new information. The blonde looked so tired, so defeated. "Delphine, if you wanted to run away and hide from all of this, I wouldn't stop you…"

"Where would I go?" Delphine asked.

It was a legit question. Where could she possibly go? Delphine was involved now. The life she had known before Cosima, that was long gone. Whether she liked it or not, Delphine had a new life now, one that involved clones, conspiracies, Castor and Cosima.

"I don't know," Cosima said. "Maybe I could-"

Her words were interrupted by an incoming text. Cosima grabbed the phone from the table and read the new message.

"Cal's found something," Cosima said, relaying the text to Delphine. "He wants us to meet him and Sarah at a bar tomorrow; says it's important." Cosima looked at Delphine. "What do you want to do?"

"Okay." Delphine shrugged and pulled herself from the couch.

"Okay?" Cosima leapt from the couch and followed Delphine. "Are you sure?"

"What other choice do I have?" Delphine shrugged. "I don't want the same fate as my father; I don't want to hide forever."

"Okay," Cosima said.

Cosima watched as Delphine retreated back into the bedroom. As soon as the door shut, Cosima turned and started making the return trip to her couch.

"Cosima?" Delphine poked her head out from the bedroom again. "Will you sleep in here tonight? I don't want to be alone."

* * *

 "Darknet?" Cosima asked.

Cosima, Sarah, Delphine and Cal stood together gathered outside the seedy bar they had agreed to meet at.

"Yeah, Darknet," Cal answered. "I followed this person on Darknet and I saw them asking the same questions as me." Cal turned toward Delphine. "Remember when my phone kept going off on the DYAD tour? It was this guy."

The group was silent before Cosima spoke up again.

"You think it's real?" Cosima asked.

"This guy had information," Cal explained. "Project Leda, clones… I think it's an insider."

"Enough chit chat," Sarah said, pushing her way to the bar's entrance. "Just follow my lead and let me do the talking, yeah?"

Cal, Cosima and Delphine all nodded and followed her inside. Whoever Cal had found on Darknet had been very vague with his messages, only saying he'd be at the back of the bar and to use the codes he provided.

Sarah and the gang continued to push through the crowd until they reached the back of the bar. It was much quieter back here, only a handful of patrons milling around – Two by the bar and two by the pool table. Sarah approached one of the men at the bar.

"What are the specials tonight?"

The man at the bar turned toward her. "What?"

"What are the specials tonight," Sarah repeated.

"I don't know, honey," the man slurred. "Why don't you let me buy you something?"

"Piss off," Sarah said, pushing away from the man. Not the guy.

Next Sarah approached the man at the far end of the bar.

"What are the specials tonight?"

The man next to her didn't even acknowledge her presence. "No specials, just bourbon tonight."

Bingo. Sarah recognized the code. It was their guy. "I only like tequila."

As soon as the words left Sarah's mouth, the man turned and faced her. "Who are you?"

"Sarah. Who the bloody hell are you?"

"Carlton."


	8. Chapter 8

"Carlton?" Sarah searched her memory for the name, but "Carlton" was unfamiliar; a new player in this game. Was he an ally? An enemy? Sarah shot Cal an uneasy glance before leaning in closer to the man. "Tell me what you know… Carlton."

Carlton let out a deep rumbling laugh.

"That's not how this works," he said, turning to face Sarah fully. "You're the one with the questions here, not me." He stared Sarah down before dropping his eyes to scan the rest of her body. When he finished, he slid a glass toward her. "How about a drink?"

"You work for DYAD or something?" Sarah pushed, ignoring his offer. "You an insider? Is that how you know about Project Leda? Huh?"

Carlton just smiled, gave another little laugh. "Take the drink, Sarah. You'll need it."

"Piss off," Sarah said, pushing off her barstool. "I don't have time for your bullshi-"

"How's Helena?"

The question made Sarah stop dead in her tracks.

"What did you say?" When Carlton didn't respond, Sarah whirled around and grabbed the man by the jacket. Shaking him, she yelled, "WHAT. DID. YOU. SAY?"

Sarah shook Carlton, shook him with all her might, but it was an uneven match. Carlton was tall and strong, and it wasn't long before he rose up, grabbed Sarah's arms, and twisted her into a bear hug. Sarah wiggled and jerked in his arms, but Carlton easily held her in place.

"Whoa, hey!" Cal yelled, witnessing the scene. He ran toward Sarah, Cosima and Delphine right behind him. "Let her go! Let her go, or I'll call the cops."

Cal pulled out his phone and started to dial.

"Tell your friend to stop," Carlton whispered in Sarah's ear. Sarah jerked away from his words, but Carlton pulled her closer and tightened his grip. "Tell him stop, or I leave  _without_ telling you what I know."

Sarah surveyed the scene, noticed the eyes of the surrounding bar patrons watching them. She couldn't let Carlton walk away. He knew things about Project Leda; he knew things about Helena. With a deep breath, Sarah stopped her struggling.

"Cal, it's okay," Sarah said, "Put the phone away. I'm fine."

Cal hesitated before finally tucking his phone away. As soon as it was out of sight, Carlton released his hold on Sarah and pushed her toward Cal.

"Names," Carlton said, staring at the group. "What are they?"

"Cal."

Carlton nodded and pointed at Cosima.

"Cosima."

Carlton nodded again and pointed at Delphine.

"Delphine."

"Delphine?" Carlton asked. He stared hard at the blonde, recognition suddenly lining his face. "Well I'll be damned…"

Carlton took a step forward and offered his hand to Delphine, who tentatively shook it.

"I knew your dad, Delphine," Carlton revealed. "Bernard was good to me, a good man."

Delphine gasped, dropped his hand and stumbled backward into Cosima.

"You knew… But how…," Delphine stuttered, shaking her head.

"You and I... We've met before too. In his lab," Carlton continued, pointing between himself and Delphine. "But you were just a tiny little thing then. Probably don't remember."

Cosima stepped forward and placed a comforting hand on Delphine's lower back. What else could she do? Or say? Delphine was suddenly very quiet, no doubt processing the new information.

"Alright, Carlton, your turn," Sarah said, stepping forward. "Who are you?"

Carlton gave the group a final onceover. Then he said: "I'm a human smuggler."

* * *

 "There was just the three of you," Carlton explained to Sarah, Cosima, Delphine and Cal. They had settled into a secluded booth, away from prying eyes. "Bernard asked me to keep you out of the system – to keep you in the black – until you could be placed in a new home. But things got tricky."

Carlton took a swig of his drink, nearly downing it in one gulp. With a lift of his hand, he motioned the bartender for another.

"Wait, three of us?" Sarah asked.

Carlton nodded. "You, obviously. Then there was Helena. And…" Carlton paused as the bartender placed a new drink on the table and walked away. "Rachel," he finished. "Sarah, Helena and Rachel. I never saw any of the other clones, didn't even know there were more of you until I started digging. Bernard was very tight-lipped about the whole thing."

Carlton looked between Sarah and Cosima, studying the pair.

"You said things got tricky," Cal said. "What did you mean?"

Carlton breathed a deep sigh, took another swig of his drink. "You got to remember, I'm just a human smuggler. It's not a great source of income. I can be… swayed." Carlton paused, downing the rest of his drink again. "When Bernard asked me to hide you, he told me to hide all of you."

"Yeah, and?" Sarah urged.

"Well, I didn't hide  _all_ of you. I only hid two – you and Helena," Carlton explained, looking at Sarah. "You, Sarah, became a ward of the state, and Helena went to the church. I was working on hiding Rachel when I was approached."

"Approached by who?" Sarah asked.

"A man named Aldous Leekie."

Delphine and Cal looked at each other, immediately recognizing the name from their DYAD tour.

"Aldous Leekie?" Delphine said. "The Director of the DYAD Institute?"

"That's the one," Carlton confirmed. "He had somehow gotten wind of what was happening and demanded the clones be returned to the DYAD Institute. He said you were DYAD property, patented by the institute."

"They patented us?" Sarah asked. "We're property?"

"So our bodies, our biology, everything we are, everything we become… belongs to DYAD?" The words slipped quietly from Cosima's mouth as she slumped back in the booth. Delphine reached under the table and grabbed Cosima's hand, giving it a squeeze.

"At first I refused," Carlton continued, "but then Leekie offered me money. Lots of money. You and Helena were long gone – buried in the pipeline – so I offered him the only clone I had left. I gave him Rachel."

Sarah and Cosima looked at each other – Rachel, the missing clone! Was she still with the DYAD Institute? Had she been an experiment this whole time? Was she even alive?

"I failed your dad, Delphine," Carlton said, looking to Delphine. "And I regret my decision every day. At the time, though, I was desperate. I was hearing things – rumors – that I was about to be arrested. I needed to disappear myself."

"So you never saw or heard from Helena again?" Sarah asked.

"Never," Carlton confirmed. "Once you were hidden, you were gone. That was the point."

Everyone leaned back in the booth, letting the new information sink in. It was a lot to process. And it was a long couple of minutes before Carlton spoke up again.

"Like I said," Carlton said, "I've been doing some digging. And if you've done your homework, this will probably mean something to you too."

Carlton reached into his pant pocket and pulled out a crumpled flyer. He quickly ironed out the wrinkles before sliding it over to Sarah. Sarah pulled the paper close, examining it. It was a flyer from the University of Minnesota announcing the College of Biological Sciences' upcoming guest speaker: Olivier K. Duval.

"Please welcome Olivier K. Duval to the U of M," Sarah read aloud. "Doesn't mean anything to me. Does it mean something to you, Geek Monkey? It's your school."

"Wait, what was the name again?" Cal asked.

Sarah slid the flyer toward him. Cal and Delphine both leaned in to read.

"Mon Dieu!" Delphine gasped, covering her mouth. "Cal, let me see your phone."

Cal pulled out his phone and gave it to Delphine, who poked at the device until there was a picture onscreen.

"Do you think it's the same person?" Delphine asked. She laid the phone next to the flyer as everyone leaned in.

On Cal's phone was a blurry picture of two individuals – a man and a woman – that Cal had captured from the salvaged employeenewsletter they had found in DYAD's research library. At the time they had discovered the woman in the photograph was Marion Bowles, but next to her…

For a second time, Cal read the photo's caption aloud. "DYAD fellow, M. Bowles, assists DYAD scientist, O. Duval, on latest project."

"O. Duval… Olivier Duval…" Sarah said, putting two and two together.

"Holy watershed," Cosima said. "This is insane."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to those who continue to read and/or comment! I hope you enjoyed this latest chapter.


End file.
